Community spotlight: Latinx in Gaming
Latinx in Gaming took home the Industry Diversity Award at this year’s Gayming Awards for their work in celebrating and uplifting Latino members of the gaming industry.
As it is Hispanic Heritage Month, I thought it would be a great time to find out more about the group, and I was delighted to speak with Cristina Amaya, the President and Co-Founder of Latinx in Gaming about their work.
Robin: Cristina, thanks so much for joining me, let’s start with sharing what Latinx in Gaming’s mission is.
Cristina: Latinx in Gaming exists to help Latinos find jobs within the gaming industry. Our goals are promoting cultural appreciation, increasing representation, providing a community platform and empowering professional development.
When and how did Latinx in Gaming begin?
Latinx in Gaming began during GDC 2018 as a panel when we did not see advocacy spaces for ourselves. Juan Vaca, Elaine Gomez and myself, alongside a few other Latinos, started the ‘You Belong Here’ series and saw such a high level of interest that we decided to form a real group.
That’s awesome, tell me about some of your key initiatives and work you do as a group.
Latinx in Gaming has a few programs running for 2024 to help grow the Latine games community and to spread awareness with the amazing work they do everyday.
Our Android Porting Program in partnership with Google Play is an ongoing program in 2024 to help developers port their game to Android. Some of what developers can expect if they’re accepted into the program include waiving of Android Developer Portal fees, funds to cover purchasing Android devices for testing, and access to an exclusive Android porting workshop to help them succeed.
Our Unidos Game Jam, now in its fifth year, runs for the entirety of Hispanic Heritage Month (9/13 – 10/13). This year we have $2000 USD in prizes and allows teams of developers to work together to make the best game they can over the month.
We also run a Hispanic Heritage Month Community Day where we aim to uplift our Community and their voices to give them a bigger platform to be noticed.
Also, Latinx in Gaming has multiple mixers to spread awareness throughout Hispanic Heritage Month with partners from Twitch, Riot Games, and Respawn where we aim to increase awareness of the Latine community.
What have been some of your proudest moments over the last few years?
We have helped over 180 Latinos find jobs in the gaming industry. We’ve provided over $150K in funding towards Latines who need help bridging the gap to success in gaming, and we’ve given over $300K in funding games and indie game developers. Even if it’s just a small door opening, we celebrate each success.
What are some of the key challenges faced by Latines in the gaming industry?
Right now the US population is 19.1% Latino but in the game industry, only 8% is Latino. And of that 8%, less then 1% is in leadership positions able to make key decisions. We want to see these numbers trend positively for the Latinx/Latine community to have our voices heard.
We sometimes don’t have the same resources as other communities. About 17% of Latines live below the poverty line, which is higher than the nation average by 6%. Gaming is an expensive hobby with consoles in the hundreds of dollars, and subscriptions and more costing a lot of money. Education to get into technological fields is even more expensive, so it’s difficult for the Latine community to enter at a level playing field.
Why is Latinx representation important in the industry and in games?
Latinx representation is important because it’s important for us to tell our stories. We are currently so divided as a nation, but our art forms and mediums of expression are a way for us to better understand each other. In so many games, we’ve only been shown in negative lights, but by showing our culture, by showing our connectivity, we can help understand each other better.
What more can the industry be doing to uplift Latinx people and culture?
Hire more Latines! Listen to their stories, work with them to get their visas so they can work within the US, provide more resources in Spanish and Portuguese. There’s so much that we can provide to folks to help bridge the gaps and get more folks into gaming. There’s a lot of education to be done on the career opportunities to students as well. Many do not see gaming and tech as viable fields but they’re within reach!
We’re in Hispanic Heritage Month – why is this month important to have on the calendar and how does it help improve the visibility of Hispanic & Latinx culture?
We believe in the importance of acknowledgement, celebration and appreciation. Hispanic Heritage Month is a time where our community gets a spotlight shined on it and a chance to celebrate all we have achieved. Each year we meet new Latine gaming professionals, new content creators and make new connections. We celebrate the successes of older members, and the growth of our community.
What does the future hold for you?
We’re hoping to continue to impact the Latinx/Latine community in gaming in a positive way. We want to see more Latines in leadership, we want to see studios in Latin America, we want to be represented in the games we make.
How can people find out more about Latinx in Gaming?
You can follow us on our social channels Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Or visit our website latinxingaming.com.
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